Originally published July 22 2015
What is the belly button connected to?
by Jeanette Padilla
(NaturalNews) It's commonly believed, especially among Western doctors, that the belly button is just a scar, left over from birth. The majority of Western medicine practitioners state the the belly button is not connected to anything. This is incorrect. The belly button, also known as the navel or umbilicus, is in fact connected to other parts of the body. The umbilical chord connects the fetus to the mother during it's development in the womb. One vein and two arteries run through the umbilical chord, sending and receiving oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood from the developing fetus. It's well known that the navel is created when a baby's umbilical chord is cut shortly after birth. After the umbilical chord stump falls off, the baby is left with a belly button. It's believed that after birth, the umbilical chord vessels die off and no longer serve a purpose, leaving the umbilicus unconnected to the rest of the body. However, that is not the case.
The umbilical chord vessels, connecting the inside of the belly button to other parts of the body, remain in-tact after birth. Many articles state that these vessels become constricted and obsolete. They do in fact constrict but they do not become obsolete; they simply remain inactive until needed. Paraumbilical veins connect the inside of the umbilicus to the round ligament of the liver and drain into the hepatic portal vein. These vessels still serve a purpose, as is evident in the case of portal hypertension. Cirrhosis of the liver is one of various conditions that can lead to portal hypertension - an increase of pressure in the major vein that leads to the liver. Any blockage such as a clot can also cause an increase of pressure in this vein. When this occurs, blood flow must be redirected via surrounding vessels to help relieve blood pressure. This is when the paraumbilical veins become dilated and are visible on the surface of the abdomen, a symptom known as caput medusae.
Umbilical connection to the bladder
Another umbilical structure thought to be obliterated shortly after birth, is the urachus. The urachus, also termed the median umbilical ligament, connects the umbilicus to the bladder. It's unclear when during postpartum the urachus closes. It's believed that in most individuals the urachus does become patent (closes) in the few months after birth. However, there is some evidence that the urachus does not completely close and microscopically remains patent in up to one-third of adults. A non-patent (open) urachus is believed to be problematic and is typically removed via surgery. A patent urachus is typically discovered when an individual develops a cyst in the urachus. Bladder infections or cysts can lead to umbilical discharge. For this reason some alternative medicine practitioners believe the umbilicus is an emergency channel of elimination used to eliminate pathogens from nearby infection.
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Sources:
http://www.turner-white.com
https://www.youtube.com
http://missinglink.ucsf.edu
About the author:
Jeanette Padilla is an experienced herbalist, writer, and co-creator of Sunshine Natural Healing. Read more of her work at Sunshine Natural Healing, or follow her on Facebook
Jeanette Padilla is an experienced herbalist, writer, and co-creator of Sunshine Natural Healing. Read more of her work at Sunshine Natural Healing, or follow her on Facebook
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